TV, Radio, Video & Audio Interviews & Appearances

Making Progress: News for a Change

Asheville's Planning and Zoning Commission — now up for a possible membership turnover — is the most powerful appointed board in city government, with more potential to affect the quality of your life than even City Council. But you in turn can affect them more than you may know, even if you're not a wealthy developer, asserts community activist and Making Progress guest co-host Steve Rasmussen.

Following co-host David Lynch's review of the current nationwide police-militarization trend, David, Steve, and Barry recall the days when they first met and worked together — March 19th, 2003. We were all protesting the beginning of the invasion of Iraq, and Steve, Barry, Lady Passion, and 30 other peaceful protesters were arrested by the Asheville Police Dept. in an action which caused outrage and controversy. It was also the beginning of the organization Asheville Justice Watch. Along with many other local activists, we worked to try to create a Citizen Review Board for the APD.

1: Pagan origins of, influence on Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Members of the Gathering of Christ Church, an international Black Hebrew church, believe modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are built mainly on stolen Pagan rituals, myths, symbols, and practices. To confirm this, they sought *Diuvei's expertise as a Pagan Priest. He answers a wide range of questions they and callers from around the world asked about Pagan and Wiccan history, symbols, and beliefs and about magic, spells, and the Pagan Gods in this riveting 4-hour MP3.

2: Paganism's differences with Bible-based monotheism

GOCC members called and emailed in so many questions for *Diuvei that he agreed to answer them in a second interview — which proved more contentious than the first. The Witch and the church elders debate their strongly different stands on homosexuality, sex, idolatry, the validity of the Bible, whether child sacrifice and orgies are real, the rituals of rich & powerful at the Bohemian Grove, and much more in this 4-hour MP3.

Lady Passion was interviewed by Tara Miller on Aug. 31, 2012. Here are the questions covered and an MP3 recording of the interview:

Clandestine: Witch Secrets and Mysteries

The world's first religion was Paganism, which is why adherents call it "the Olde Religion." How was magic forced underground?

In one traditional Book of Shadows, Witches are called "the Hidden Children." Is a history of persecution the reason why many feel compelled to keep their magic secret?

Versions of old Craft "laws" posted online also urge Pagans to deny their identity. Times have changed since they were written down.
So what should Witches keep secret today, and why?

Proof of magic's antiquity and continual popularity abounds. For instance, the Vatican confiscated thousands of magic books over the centuries.
So how does Craft secrecy encourage some writers and detractors to label Wicca modern, a neo-Pagan invention of the 1950s?

Despite millennia of persecuting heathens — and contrary to their assertion — monotheists (Christians, Jews, and Muslims) not only don't dominate the planet, they're loosing believers in droves.
Factoring billions of Hindus, polytheists outnumber monotheists around the globe — so how are they reacting to this?

As of this year, Paganism is believed to be the 3rd largest religion in the U.S., U.K., and elsewhere.
How do people and the planet benefit from Witches being public?

"UNCA Interfaith Dialogue: Is Religion Relevant?": Lady Passion & *Diuvei participated in a lively panel discussion of this question with local representatives of many faiths before a standing-room-only crowd at UNC-Asheville on Nov. 17, 2011.

Our Wiccan Wins

Asheville's forerunner of Occupy Wall Street

Anti-divination
law
repealed. We won! North Carolina General Statute 14-401.5
banning clairvoyance and fortunetelling is no more. On Samhain 2004, we
publicly burned it. Find
out more about how our state's Witches and the ACLU together
beat this bad law.

Pictures
and information about North Carolina Witches' and Pagans' protest
against the antiquated
state law against palmistry and divination that N.
C. police used to arrest psychics and shut down metaphysical
bookstores. See how we got this unconstitutional law repealed!

It's
Illegal to Disrupt a Ritual—
Fundamentalist protestors who shout, pray, sing psalms, proselytize, or
harass people attending at a Pagan or Wiccan religious event are
breaking the law and can be arrested.

Witches at Bele Chere (the largest annual street festival in the Southeastern U.S., held in late July):

2011 — Coven Oldenwilde was invited by the city of Asheville to help sell drink wristbands. Our booth featured energetic volunteers in eye-catching t-shirts, and a novel tip jar that told fortunes with QR codes! See photos & tell your fortune.

Counseling & Guidance

Do you
have a pressing problem?Consult
directly with Lady Passion
for magical advice and counseling.
Lady Passion is a highly
skilled diviner, psychic, and herbalist; she is also an R.N., with
extensive experience in both physical and psychological medical care.

"America's Pagan Heritage" is one of oldenwilde.org's most popular sections. Learn why the U.S. has so many Pagan patriotic symbols and what they mean — flag pentagrams, liberty goddesses, courthouse temples, &c. — how surprisingly Pagan the Founders were, why Wiccans are activists, more.

More of What Coven Oldenwilde Does

Coven
Oldenwilde's
covenstead (pictured at right) is certified as Backyard Wildlife Habitat
site no. 46961.
To find out how to make your yard a wildlife
habitat, visit the National
Wildlife Federation.

See
Coven
Oldenwilde's listing in the Resources Guide (p. 523 & 596) in
Margot Adler's revised edition of Drawing Down the Moon.

About
Coven Oldenwilde

Merry Meet!

Coven Oldenwilde was founded on Samhain, 1994, and meets in Asheville,
North Carolina,
in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We are a group of Witches
who use ancient magical principles for the betterment of life,
the continuance of the Universe, and the glorification of the
Gods.

Such principles are based on the wisdom of the Wiccan Rede
"An it harm
none, do
what ye will"
and upheld by the observance of the traditional Wiccan Laws.

Members of Oldenwilde specialize in different
magical talents,
contributing to rituals elements such as spells, chants, songs
and dances.
Though we believe in many Gods, we especially esteem the Lady
of the night, Hecate, and the Lord of the hunt, Herne.

Appreciative of its scope, we work with time, using prophecy
and divination, astral planes and past-life regression both to
learn from history and to be forewarned of the future. We show
our reverence for time by conducting magical working meetings
(circles) in accordance with the cycles of the Moon and Sun.

In consideration of life and time, we celebrate the seasonal
sacred days of:

Our coven works independently of our students, who perfect
their magical knowledge and talents before possible inclusion.

Oldenwilde does magic with the Wiccan community at large
through
the year and as needed.

We empower our circles with support from the elements Earth,
Air, Fire, and Water, and layers of correspondences (complementary
enhancers) such as color, music, candlelight or moonlight, incenses,
and oils for specific occasions.